Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs by Ken Kocienda. Just finished this enjoyable book from the software developer responsible, among other projects while at Apple, for the touchscreen keyboard on the first iPhone.

Currently reading Digital Helix. I'm interested in the subject of digital transformation. This book is good, but is leaving me wanting more. Anyone have a book they recommend on digital transformation?

Was waiting to read this one for quite some time, after having seen the same being recommended on William Bernstein's site efficient frontier. For those who are not yet aware of this book, it a satire about Wall Street but is embedded with indirect advice and recommendations that are worth their weight in gold (or TSM in case you don't prefer gold). What is really intriguing is that this was written in 1940 but gives the same messages that Bogle starting fighting for in 1970s.

I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.

I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from 463 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! I'm debating whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!

The Count of Monte Cristo is - not surprisingly - one of my favorite books. But I'd be very worried if it is only 479 pages. Its probably been abridged. The Penguin edition is 1276 pages, and that is not a page too long.

"Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman" by Robert L. O'Connell (Random House, 2014)

In the last twenty years, many books have been written about U.S. Grant. I plan to read Ron Chernow's recent effort by the end of this year. Before that pleasant task, however, I was able to pick up a copy of O'Connell's biography of Sherman. What a fascinating character the man was, and a great general besides! I understand that I am making no friends with any Forum members born below the Mason-Dixon line with that declarative statement. Give this book a chance - read it and if then you still believe that Sherman was nothing more than a marauding sociopath, I will concede that your opinion is forever immutable.
If you put aside all of his well-documented exertions during the Civil War, you will discover that Sherman had a surprising and strong influence on several other famous incidents in American history. If you are truly interested in the latter subject, you should be aware of what those influences were. This book presents two excellent, enlarged photographs of Sherman's physiognomy - especially on the front jacket cover. Look into his eyes and you cannot fail to perceive a burning intensity aligned with an analytical intelligence; this man was much more than just a destructive monster. To be absolutely fair, Sherman was not a War lover. He certainly would have agreed with the Roman proverb: Dulce Bellum Inexpertis ("War is sweet to those who are not acquainted with it").

Sherman - like Grant - wrote a really excellent autobiography; his and Grant's are each available in the Library of America series. They are not the typical 19th century military leader memoirs, and can hold their own in comparison with any 19th century autobiography. Sheridan also wrote a memoir that is of respectable quality, i.e. far above the run of 19th century military memoir, but no where near the level of Grant or Sherman.

I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.

I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from 463 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! I'm debating whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!

The Count of Monte Cristo is - not surprisingly - one of my favorite books. But I'd be very worried if it is only 479 pages. Its probably been abridged. The Penguin edition is 1276 pages, and that is not a page too long.

The book doesn't claim to be abridged. It is a 1940 publication from a publisher called the Book League of America. Wikipedia says that was established in 1930. It was a subscription service, much like Book of the Month Club. Note Wikipedia did NOT say it was similar to Reader's Digest! One illustration, a frontispiece, copyright Consolidated Book Publishers. There is no introduction nor anything like a "letter from the publisher."

It is a wartime publication so paper had to be conserved: small(ish) print with tiny margins. But still it is hard to see how they reduced 1276 pages to 479 without abridging. So, probably abridged even though not so designated.

This is am amazing book and highly recommended by many on this forum. I had a few moments of fondly remembering myself during 2008 recession. I went on a quest to learn about economics and history during the recession and some of the authors feelings reciprocated with me.

A few things that surprised me:
1) Bank pass books are traded as cash at a discount!
2) Bread lines. 1 in 4 unemployment.
3) Chasing the falling knife examples- across several years.
4) The intelligence and logical view of the author in tough times- A lawyer with keen interest on history and economics.
5) The mighty cities of Ohio - once upon a time.
6) Author thoughts on diversification as time went by.
7) Buildings razed down to save on paying taxes - Reminded me of 2008.
8) I understand what buffet means by the world is a much better, safer, progressed place in general as 21st century progressed. The constant view of wars, inflation, food issues, safety issues in the book made me feel grateful.

When in doubt, http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79939

Just finished this book and I must say it was a disappointment for me. It was essentially a rehash of the Millionaire Next Door and the Millionaire Mind and provided little additional insight other than to say that the same principles listed in The Millionaire Next Door still apply. I would save my money and time and just read the original book and skip this one altogether.

It is an unusual detective story in that the murder mystery is about 500 years old: the deaths of King Richard's two young nephews, the oldest of which was to inherit his late father's (King Edward IV) crown. Richard preferred that he be king.

The two nephews (The princes in the tower) vanished and were presumed dead, probably at Richard's instructions, even if not by his own hand. He was (conveniently?) out of town at the time. So, this is the murder mystery to be solved by inspector Alan Grant who is laid up in a hospital bed with a broken leg and needs something to amuse himself with. I haven't got past this initial setup yet.

The title is from a quote by Francis Bacon: "Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority." The "authority" is that Richard did it. The introduction warns that the book plays a little loose with the evidence and there was less evidence at the time the book was written. Ms. Tey has her spin on the situation and ignores evidence that might argue against her opinion. As they say, "Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy The Show!" Don't get hung up on solving the mystery.

This is the story of the First Marine Division in their battle with five Chinese Army Divisions at the Chosin Reservoir, and then fighting their out of the mountains of North Korea during the winter of 1950-51. This is a very good book, I recommend it.

"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein |
Wiki article link:Getting Started

I'm trying to read The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, but I think I've bogged down.

I just started Count of Monte Cristo (also by Dumas). I'm only at page 16 of 479. So far our hero has been arrested on trumped up charges by someone who will obviously benefit from that. My thoughts so far: If our hero had a good lawyer he might have saved us from 463 pages of impending frustration I'm not sure I want to subject myself to! I'm debating whether or not to continue based on the book's reputation as a classic. I'm glad it was a cheap "buy now" on eBay and the seller accepted my low-ball offer!

The Count of Monte Cristo is - not surprisingly - one of my favorite books. But I'd be very worried if it is only 479 pages. Its probably been abridged. The Penguin edition is 1276 pages, and that is not a page too long.

The book doesn't claim to be abridged. It is a 1940 publication from a publisher called the Book League of America. Wikipedia says that was established in 1930. It was a subscription service, much like Book of the Month Club. Note Wikipedia did NOT say it was similar to Reader's Digest! One illustration, a frontispiece, copyright Consolidated Book Publishers. There is no introduction nor anything like a "letter from the publisher."

It is a wartime publication so paper had to be conserved: small(ish) print with tiny margins. But still it is hard to see how they reduced 1276 pages to 479 without abridging. So, probably abridged even though not so designated.

There are several translations of that book, and most of them are abridged, some horrendously so. None of them mention that they’ve been abridged. What I found when I read it was that the translation matters, more than with most books. The first one I tried to read was almost completely unreadable. The 1200+ page Penguin version with a modern translation was a great book.

While I am not a golfer, Woods is a fascinating figure. With his recent PGA tour win, he seems to have returned.

This is a very detailed book of his life, including all the trouble Woods experienced. Excellent look at a legendary and troubled figure. Hopefully he seems to have turned his life around. If the authors are to be believed, that turnaround has been occurring the past couple of years.

I am on a cycle of re reading old classics that enjoyed years ago. And to be more specific, there were two books which years ago brought tears to my eyes at ending which I read in past weeks just to see if would occur again, kind of like a test of my now much older sensibilities. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton was enjoyable but I did not become emotional at end. But a very haunting ending. However, Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, while not a great novel, in fact I skimmed parts, still had the tears coming at final pages with sacrifice of Sydney Carton, even though I saw it coming from long ways away, so guess that I still have some sentimentalities. Good luck.

Nicolas, thanks for that great link; lots of info about similar quotes going back many years (1759). So, no specific originator of the concept but lots of people making similar observations. I guess that's why I was somewhat familiar with it.

I think Tey's usage is a bit different from the tone of the article at that link. Tey focuses on how a single, personalized, death has a larger emotional impact than death in general. Tey is not about callousness but about focus and relating. One can relate to a specific death more than to death in general.

Tey also uses the word "news" instead of "statistic." "News" is something one can relate to more than "statistic."

Just finished this book and I must say it was a disappointment for me. It was essentially a rehash of the Millionaire Next Door and the Millionaire Mind and provided little additional insight other than to say that the same principles listed in The Millionaire Next Door still apply. I would save my money and time and just read the original book and skip this one altogether.

Re-reading Lord of the Rings for the 7th or 8th time. I'm actually reading some, but mostly listening to the Audible version, skillfully narrated by Rob Inglis. Hanging out with Merry, Pippin and Treebeard right now.

I am on a cycle of re reading old classics that enjoyed years ago. And to be more specific, there were two books which years ago brought tears to my eyes at ending which I read in past weeks just to see if would occur again, kind of like a test of my now much older sensibilities. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton was enjoyable but I did not become emotional at end. But a very haunting ending. However, Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, while not a great novel, in fact I skimmed parts, still had the tears coming at final pages with sacrifice of Sydney Carton, even though I saw it coming from long ways away, so guess that I still have some sentimentalities. Good luck.

I think Tale of Two Cities has the most memorable beginning and ending quotes in all English literature...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

And Carton..." It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

I am on a cycle of re reading old classics that enjoyed years ago. And to be more specific, there were two books which years ago brought tears to my eyes at ending which I read in past weeks just to see if would occur again, kind of like a test of my now much older sensibilities. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton was enjoyable but I did not become emotional at end. But a very haunting ending. However, Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, while not a great novel, in fact I skimmed parts, still had the tears coming at final pages with sacrifice of Sydney Carton, even though I saw it coming from long ways away, so guess that I still have some sentimentalities. Good luck.

I think Tale of Two Cities has the most memorable beginning and ending quotes in all English literature...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way."

And Carton..." It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

Ah, yes... and that final quote... it's been years since I've read it, but... it got me in the gut again.

I sometimes wonder if the young ages that some of us read these masterpieces gave them even more of an impact on us.

There's the silver/candlestick scene in Les Miserables, as another very key section of literature.

I think the Count of Monte Cristo was the first of the "masterpieces" that I read, and after that, I'd be curled up with a book for hours at a time, most evenings. I was pretty young, so my parents had to give the local librarian special permission so that I'd be allowed to get her opinion and also to check out books from the "adult" section.

Time to re-read some of these, yet again.
I used to "lose myself" in the books, and these days, with the assorted current events, I'd probably do well with that again...

I'm reading "The Witch Elm" by Tana French. She's written the several Dublin Murder Squad novels, each somewhat linked to the next by the police investigators. I've read and enjoyed each of those. The WItch Elm is a stand alone with a very different focus. Still in Ireland, but without the Murder Squad. It's gotten mixed reviews including a very good review by Stephen King in last Sunday's NYT Book review. I'm still reading. She writes well. I'm not overly enthusiastic about it.

I recently finished "Gone to Dust" by Matt Goldman. It's a private detective novel set in Minnesota. A decent read, with dialog reminiscent of Robert Parker's Spenser novels. I enjoyed it enough that I got the second in the series, Broken Ice. Another enjoyable read that I finished in a day or two.

So many Fall releases coming in the next couple of weeks. A new Lee Child Jack Reacher novel, a new Michael Connelly supposedly with Harry Bosch teaming with Rene Ballard, a John Grisham, a Jeffrey Archer, a Stephen King, and more! I've got them all on my hold requests list at my libraries.

As an aside, I mentioned in another thread how much better I find the Libby app for reading borrowed library books rather than my Kindle or kindle app, or the Overdrive app. If you borrow from a library, give it a try. I find it more intuitive and more versatile. It easily handles different library cards at the same time letting you see all your borrowed books, your holds, etc. Alas it does not handle owned books at least as far as I can tell.

Lethal White by "Robert Galbraith," i.e., J. K. Rowling. The fourth book in the excellent series of detective novels. The series centers around the fairly well-worn trope of the unlikely male-female duo who can't decide whether they're colleagues or friends or soulmates, but I think Rowling does it well, and the character Robin is one of the most interesting and compelling characters I've read in popular fiction for a long time.

Identical twins are born in Ethiopia in 1954, to a Indian Catholic nun who dies in childbirth, and a British surgeon who disappears immediately after the birth. Life from the perspective of one of the twins.

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety by Eric Schlosser

This has been an eye opening book for me. Not only has it introduced me to weapons I never knew existed such as the Davy Crockett, a grenade launcher type of nuclear bomb, but it literally has made me fear for my safety a time or two with how close we've come to blowing ourselves up, not a few times but DOZENS of times.

My only complaint about the book is that it is about 500 pages long and if it could have been held to around 300 pages, it would have been a real page turner.